Weekes professional to the end

Paul Weekes displayed admirable professionalism for the second consecutive day in leading Middlesex's attempt to escape relegation at North Marine Road.

Middlesex have told Weekes, 37, that he will be released at the end of the season despite his first-innings century and regardless of what he does further in this match.

With his 17-season career with his native county at an end, Weekes could have been forgiven had he turned demob-happy.

Instead he took on additional responsibilities in an injury-ravaged attack which was further depleted when Scott Styris and Chad Keegan broke down with back injuries.

Weekes ended a furious assault by Darren Lehmann, whose first six scoring strokes included five boundaries, when he had the Australian left-hander lbw sweeping and forced Yorkshire to make more cautious progress towards first-innings parity.

Joe Sayers may have been overshadowed during a fourth-wicket stand of 67 with Lehmann but he outlasted his partner and pushed on to a first century of the season.

Sayers, who made his only other championship hundred at Scarborough last year, made painstaking progress to a 164-ball fifty. But he needed only 99 more deliveries to complete a well-organised century in 5½ hours.

Simon Guy helped him add 60 for the sixth wicket until Johann Louw bowled a bouncer in deteriorating light and play was halted.